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Technology Impacts on Retail Stores: Pros and Cons

Advances in technology have greatly impacted the retail environment within the last century. Customers can purchase items quicker and the stores can manage their businesses, clientele and workforce easier. Retail stores cannot function without computers, phones, and the internet. Therefore, if these items are taken out, the stores are virtually closed for business.

A sales person used to manually enter customer purchases. This consisted of writing the item down on a notepad. If there were several items, each had to be written down. Sales tax was figured out manually, as well as any discounts. Once copy of the receipt was given to the customer and the other was kept at the store. If the receipts were lost, there would be no other record of the purchase.

Also, the customer could only pay in cash or checks before the emergence of credit cards. Credit cards were initially copied and written down before the internet made the process easier. Now, whenever your credit card is swiped at a register, the internet helps send the information to the bank to confirm the amount of purchase.

Customer data is also captured and recorded quicker thanks to the help of computers. All transactions are recorded to help prevent theft and to catch mistakes made on the registers.

With all of the benefits of technology in the retail market, it is hard to imagine what stores would be like without it. The downside to technological advances is that stores cannot operate today without it. In the cases of a power outage, a clerk would have to go back to the basics of writing down a transaction. Although this can work just the same, the process is much too long in today’s fast-paced world. Plus, if you take a credit card without swiping it at the register, you risk the transaction being declined. This results in contacting the customer for another method of payment, if you can even get a hold of her.

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Using Technology to Stay Competitive

No matter what you decide to do in the business world, you’ll probably need technology. People can’t just do without it in most occupations anymore, because there are so many ways in which it’s used. If you assume that you won’t need it, you’re likely to find out that you’re wrong. The problem with that is that most people assume that technology means computers. If they aren’t working with computers, they think, and then they won’t need to know anything about technology. The truth is that technology is everywhere anymore. There are so many options for jobs that require and use it that you’ll really need to stay involved with it.

Even jobs that aren’t traditional office jobs use technology ‘out in the field,’ so it’s something that you have to be mindful of. Be sure that you’re staying competitive with your knowledge of technology, too. You don’t want to learn only the basics for your job, because it’s important to understand more than that. If you only focus on the basics, you aren’t going to be able to get ahead. Other people who have a lot more knowledge will surpass you, and it can be harder for you to catch up. You could be overlooked for jobs and promotions, and that can make things rough for you, financially.

Don’t give up if you don’t know a lot about technology right now. Just start learning. There are books, CDs, and websites that can help you, and there are classes that you can take so you can better understand what you need to know to be successful in a rapidly advancing world. If you get discouraged, you won’t get far, so keep a good attitude and keep learning, so you can take command of your future and get past the competition.

Filed Under: Robotics, Technology Tagged With: , ,

Two Jobs Done by Technology People Hate

Technological devices have in many ways made people’s live much easier. It’s easier to send information, it’s easier to get to the top floor of a sky scrapper and it’s easier to keep track of one’s money. But on the flip side, some technology has become a pain in the neck as new devices have taken over the work once done by humans. In some instances it’s because the technology is doing a little too good of a job and in others it seems like they are creating more work for people rather than the other way around. Here are two technologies that exemplify both descriptions.

A lot of citizens like to say that there’s never a police officer around when you need him. The argument goes that police officers are too busy doing mundane tasks like writing parking tickets instead of fighting real crime. Many cities have taken this argument to heart, as well as seen a money-making scheme out of it, and replaced some duties of police officers with technological devices. The best known is red-light cameras. Using sensors, these cameras can detect when a car runs through a red light or turns before it changes to green. It then snaps a picture of the vehicle’s license plate and sends the information to the police who then send a ticket to the driver’s home. After getting a stack of tickets, many people are fed up and some town’s are even now banning their use.

No one likes to go grocery shopping with the long lines and mass of people pushing around metal carts. Thus, the advent of self checkout machines. These touchscreen computers allow shoppers to scan their own items and insert money or swipe a card when finished. While they were designed to speed up the checkout process for those with only a few items, they have a tendency to malfunction from heavy use. Which means more long lines.

Filed Under: Computers, Technology Tagged With:

Future Jobs That may Disappear Because of Technology

When people think of computers taking jobs away from humans, they tend to think of menial jobs along assembly lines or punching in numbers into a spreadsheet. But those are the jobs that were lost in the past, while the jobs being taken over by computers today are in highly-skilled fields like aeronautics, engineering and medicine. Such as dramatic change in labor leaves anyone guessing what careers may go the same way in the future. However, here are a few positions humans may find a computer working soon:

Bus and Taxi Drivers
When Google displayed their self-driven car, many took it as more of a novelty stunt with few present day implications. While it may be true that not much can be done with the technology today, in the future, urbanites just may find themselves getting around town in buses and taxis that drive themselves. Most likely comedians will be equally upset about losing their jokes on taxi drivers too.

Hotel Concierge
Travelers are already accustomed to self-checkout counters at airports, where they just swipe their credit card to have their tickets and boarding passes instantly dispersed. So why not do the same in a hotel? With check-in kiosks, guests will be able to type in their information, grab their room key and be on their way.

Firemen
Security systems in homes have been advanced significantly since their introduction. Instead of just making an annoyingly loud beeping noise to hopefully scare off intruders, they are now linked to digital networks that can alert emergency responders of any problem a home is facing. If they can communicate emergencies to the authorities today, in the future they may be able to handle such emergencies themselves. In the case of fire, many corporate buildings already have sprinklers that run on a computer system and engage when temperature in a room reaches high levels. It can be reasoned that homes will be built with similar technology as well.

Filed Under: Computers, Office Technology Tagged With:

How High Tech Should Your Business Go?

Every business is different in how it operates and the needs that the particular business has. Rarely are any two businesses alike, even if they are in the same industry. It is important for the owner of an enterprise to understand his or her individual business needs. This understanding will help you figure out the tools and technology that will best help your particular business thrive.

A lot of business owners are obsessed with the latest advancements in technology and cringe at the thought of falling behind or becoming outdated and obsolete. This is a real concern if you are in a technology-driven business. For example, if you have an automotive shop, it is important that you have all the diagnostic computers needed to work on new cars. The computers that are used in cars now require that a mechanic have these diagnostic tools.

Not all businesses require such up-to-date technologies. Some business will have minimal requirements that can be met with basic systems. A retail business, for instance, will have need for inventory software and a good point-of-sales system. Once these systems are installed, there is little need to upgrade them unless your inventory levels become too large or your inventory type changes. A competitive advantage can, however, be gained in some cases from having more recent hardware and software. For example, if the competition is using an ancient machine with MS-DOS, your latest Windows 7 box will have an obvious advantage over it. It’s easier for staff to learn how to use it, and it performs faster. However, the same difference is far less notable if your competition is using Windows XP. The older OS and hardware could be saving them a bundle, and your upgrade to a technology you may not even use could constitute unnecessary overhead. Ultimately, the decision has to be made for each business in particular, looking at all the advantages and drawbacks of a technological advance.

Filed Under: Computers, Office Technology Tagged With: , ,

Technology Turning Customer Service Into Digital Affair

In recent times, much to the chagrin of consumers, businesses have saved the cost of customer service operations by outsourcing them to foreign countries. The move, however, still guaranteed access to an actual person; although whether that person could speak the language or not was uncertain. Now some businesses are almost eliminating customer service representatives entirely no matter what country they live in.

If you look on the bills of some services or products, like for a magazine subscription, many won’t even have a single phone number. Instead listed is only a website. When consumers go to the site they find the only means of contact is via email with generally a two business day response time. Some businesses though will offer the ability to chat with a rep online as well. In doing so businesses can then have a fewer number of customer service reps process many emails and chats at once instead of taking that many calls individually.

Yet even if there is a number for a business, it most likely won’t lead to human being, but to an automated voice system. Callers can then use their phone’s keypad to select various options that may address their concerns. Other systems are capable of voice recognition so that callers can speak their problem and the automated voice can direct the call to the appropriate division. When all fails, callers can try pressing zero and hope for the best.

Many products, especially in electronics, are packaged with their very own tech support. Most recognize this as a disc that can be popped in the computer and holds a digital owner’s guide with search tools. For products that are downloaded onto a computer, like software, there is actually a Help button that works in a similar fashion. Business websites will also feature an online section of customer service issues so that consumers, hopefully, can solve any issues on their own.

Filed Under: Computers, Technology Tagged With:

The Disadvantages of too Much Technology in an Office

Technology has been used in business as a tool to help workers perform more efficiently as well as faster. Thus, the reasoning goes that the more technically advanced a business, the better it is. However, as in other things in life and business, there can always be too much of a good thing, including technology. While it’s next to impossible to run an office without it, there is a line that can be crossed when technology goes from being an asset and becoming a nuisance.

For example, in an office employees can start acting like the technology that they use. Specifically, they will want to transmit information as quickly as possible. While this can be good in some circumstances, it can ultimately mean neglecting to review that information and checking its accuracy. This can pose major problems later in a project. Before technology’s reign, most workers had to spend time with their information letting them ponder its value instead of emailing it off the minute it comes in.

While the technology itself has an off switch, the people using it do not. Office tension can be created with the bombardment of some workers. Any one person can now be reached in a multitude of ways, which can lower an employee’s tolerance for annoyances when they get a phone call, email, text and Facebook post from their boss.

With the growing reliance on technology, there is less of a reliance on people. That means workers spend less time interacting with other people than they do interacting with technology. This creates an atmosphere where co-workers don’t get to know each other very well or even learn how to work with each other. And because of the many features of technology, it’s very possible to lose one’s attention to it instead of taking the time to build valuable company camaraderie.

Filed Under: Computers, Technology Tagged With: , , , ,

Using Technology to Make Workplaces Safer

Having a safe workplace is very important for most businesses. First and foremost, businesses never want to see their employees suffer injuries while on the job. But there are many business reasons as well. Having people injured on the job means one less person to complete a task. It also creates very poor morale. On top of that, employees can file for lawsuits, leading to bad press for the entire company. To keep such scenarios from playing out, businesses are relying on the direct and indirect benefits from technology.

The best way to prevent tragedies from occurring in the workplace is to keep employees safe from external harm. Examples range from a disgruntled former employee, a current employee’s stalker, armed robbers and other criminal elements. Most businesses choose to outfit their office buildings with high-tech security cameras. Additionally, doors are locked at all times except when opened with a security clearance card that can be swiped much like a credit card. In some workplaces like courthouses, there are even metal detectors.

However, the majority of injuries that occur in a workplace are from internal accidents. Businesses that have positions where injury is a high risk usually set up levels of prevention to avoid accidents. An example of such technology employed include sensors that will detect a person in a hazardous area or emit alerts to staff of a chemical leak. When the risk is very high, such as moving toxic materials or reaching inventory in high locations, computerize robotics are used to accomplish the task with placing a human in harms way as little as possible.

There is also an indirect safety benefit from a lot of technology that most people don’t realize. That is, with all of the communicating technology from email to text to web-conferencing, there a fewer employees that have to go out on business trips. And less people on the road means less auto accidents.

Filed Under: Computers, Technology Tagged With: , ,

How Software Keeps Businesses From Wasting Money

All businesses have to allocate money into the field of research and development. While to what scale will depend on the size of the company, every single one of them has to work on putting together new products that will keep it relevant. What causes the most concern for businesses is that there is no sure-fire way to know until the end if their efforts will work.

Companies waste millions of dollars every year trying out new things that just end in failure. However, the growing capabilities of software is changing the odds for businesses. With software, companies have more tools to see, test and get feedback about new products before they even build a prototype.

The many design software programs available have made it possible to put a future product to paper, or screen, with the ability to manipulate it without wasting any resources. Businesses can get a visual on products first before deciding to follow through. They can create products in 3D or in colorful layouts. It is a money saver for fashion designers that might want to play around with colors or stitching.

In every company’s research and development division employees are asking the same question: Will it work? Before, businesses just had to find out by building it. Now, powerful software programs are available to engineering professionals to put new devices in simulators to test their performance. In addition, financial institutions can crunch long-term numbers or algorithms through mathematical software simulators to test their effectiveness, with all conditions being equal, or not.

If a new product has been judged by executives as looking sharp, and it passed all the test with flying colors, it still won’t matter if the public doesn’t like it. By building an interactive PDF or website, businesses can distribute information about their new product to potential customers for feedback. This focus group can then add or mark changes they would like to see in a finished product.

Filed Under: Computers, Technology Tagged With: , , ,
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